After returning to the capital to farm, the abandoned concubine made a comeback.

When Lin Qin and Zhu Ling arrived at the teahouse, a crowd had already gathered at the entrance, chattering away like sparrows in a pot that had been set in motion.

"Really? It'll kill you if you drink it? I just bought a pound of this tea yesterday!" a loud voice shouted, his voice filled with terror.

"Who knows? There are too many unscrupulous businessmen in this world!" another sarcastic voice chimed in, like pouring cold water into a pot of boiling oil.

On the outskirts of the crowd, several merchants who had originally agreed to cooperate with Lin Qin were now whispering among themselves, their faces full of hesitation.

Some frowned, as if pondering life's problems, while others had shifty eyes, as if calculating something.

The way they looked at Lin Qin was no longer the enthusiastic one, but rather filled with suspicion and distance, like discovering that their partner was a player right after they started dating, and they wanted to avoid them at all costs.

Lin Qin felt a chill run from the soles of her feet to the top of her head. She hadn't expected the rumors to spread so quickly, faster than 5G networks.

She tried to explain to everyone, but the questioning gazes were like an impenetrable wall, silencing her.

"I really didn't do such a thing. Someone must be framing me!" Lin Qin's voice wasn't loud, but it trembled slightly, revealing her anxiety.

She tried to find the source of the rumors, but it was like looking for a needle in a haystack, and she had no clue whatsoever.

Lin Qin ran all over the market, asking door to door, trying to find out where the rumors came from, but the replies she received were all "I heard it from someone else."

She felt like a spinning top, being whipped by an invisible lash of rumors, spinning until she was dizzy and disoriented.

"Sigh, this Miss Lin, I think she's a pitiful person. I never expected her to encounter such a thing." A bystander pointed at the people next to him.

“Who says otherwise? Doing business is hard enough as it is, and now they’re being smeared. It’s really terrible!” another person chimed in.

Their voices weren't loud, but they pierced Lin Qin's heart like needles.

Lin Qin felt her throat was dry, and her heart felt like it was weighed down by a heavy stone.

She wanted to refute, but felt like she was performing a one-woman show, pale and powerless.

Zhu Ling remained silent throughout. He saw Lin Qin's anxiety and helplessness. He held Lin Qin's hand tightly, feeling the coldness of her palm, and silently pulled her behind him.

"I'll take you back to rest first." Zhu Ling's voice was deep and gentle, like a warm current dispelling the chill in Lin Qin's heart.

Lin Qin looked up at Zhu Ling and could see determination and support in his eyes.

She knew she wasn't fighting alone.

Just as the two were about to turn and leave, they heard a slightly frivolous voice, "Oh, isn't this the famous Miss Lin? How does it feel to be insulted to your face?"

Lin Qin looked in the direction of the sound and saw Wu, the unscrupulous merchant, twisting his fat body as he squeezed through the crowd with a gloating smile on his face.

Behind him followed a man who looked like a lackey.

"Wu the swindler, you..." Lin Qin was about to question him when Wu the swindler interrupted her first, his eyes filled with contempt.

"Miss Lin, doing business relies on conscience. You can't live with yourself if you deceive your consumers like this, can you?"

Lin Qin looked at Wu the unscrupulous merchant and felt a chill run down her spine. She suddenly realized something.

"Master Sun, what do you think of this matter?" Wu the cunning merchant turned and asked loudly towards the outer edge of the crowd.

A middle-aged man dressed in a brocade robe slowly walked out. He was the owner of Sun Medical Clinic, the largest medical clinic in the capital.

Master Sun stroked his sparse beard, his triangular eyes narrowing into slits, and said in a sarcastic tone, "These days, some people will do anything for money. Doctors are supposed to have the heart of a parent, but I think some people are just completely black-hearted." As soon as he said this, the people around him looked at Lin Qin with even more hostility, as if she were some kind of plague.

Lin Qin clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh. She took a deep breath and tried to suppress the anger in her heart.

She knew that now was not the time to argue; she had to find a solution as soon as possible.

She had a sudden inspiration and thought of the highly respected old gentleman she had met during a free clinic a few days ago.

The old doctor is highly skilled and has a great reputation in the area. If we can get his support, the rumors will naturally fall apart.

Thinking of this, Lin Qin immediately gestured to Zhu Ling, then turned and left the crowd, heading straight for the old man's residence.

"Greetings, sir!" Lin Qin greeted the old man with a deep bow and then explained the whole story to him in detail.

Her tone was sincere and her attitude humble. After listening, the old man stroked his beard, pondered for a moment, and said, "I am willing to clear your name, but you little girl, you'd better be careful in the future!"

Lin Qin was moved to tears and thanked the old man repeatedly before leading him back to the market.

When everyone saw the old man, their faces showed surprise.

Wu, the unscrupulous merchant, stared wide-eyed at the old man as if he were an alien, his fat face trembling, and his previous arrogance vanished without a trace.

The old gentleman cleared his throat and said in a loud voice, "I can testify that there is absolutely nothing wrong with Miss Lin's tea shop. She is kind-hearted, enthusiastic about public welfare, and would never do anything to deceive consumers." The old gentleman's words were like a heavy hammer blow, striking the faces of those who spread rumors.

The merchants who had initially hesitated immediately apologized to Lin Qin and reached a new cooperation agreement.

Seeing Lin Qin's hardship, Zhu Ling felt a pang of heartache. He walked to Lin Qin's side, embraced her, and said to everyone, "I hereby swear that everything Lin Qin has done has been approved by me, and I am willing to vouch for her." Zhu Ling's voice was firm and powerful, like a sharp sword that cut off all rumors and gossip.

Lin Qin raised her head and looked at Zhu Ling, her eyes glistening with tears of emotion, like two crystal-clear pearls.

She knew that all her efforts had not been in vain.

People around them looked at them with envy, as if they were a perfect couple made in heaven.

"Your Highness, you..." Lin Qin was about to speak when Zhu Ling gently covered her lips with his finger. His eyes were full of affection, as if he wanted to draw her in, and he whispered, "Shh, I'm here for you."

The unscrupulous merchant Wu and the restaurant owner Sun slunk away, like defeated roosters, dejected and crestfallen.

But the matter did not end there; an undercurrent was brewing beneath the calm surface.

Those envious peers, jealous of Lin Qin's success, were like a group of rats hiding in dark corners, secretly engaging in petty tricks.

They united to form the "Anti-Lin Alliance," vowing to drive Lin Qin out of the business world.

"Hmph, what right does a discarded concubine have to be so arrogant?" A merchant with a pointed mouth and monkey-like face spoke sourly, as if he had eaten a sour lemon.

"That's right, let's join forces and make it impossible for her to move an inch!" Another businessman with a fierce face slammed his fist on the table, like an enraged wild boar.

They conspired to not invite Lin Qin to any important business gatherings, not to engage in any business cooperation with her, and even to spread rumors and defame her reputation.

Lin Qin arrived at the city's most luxurious restaurant, preparing to attend the annual business summit.

She walked confidently to the door, dressed in a carefully chosen dress, only to be stopped by two burly security guards.

"I'm sorry, you're not on the invitation list, so you can't go in," the gatekeeper said expressionlessly, like two cold statues.

Lin Qin was stunned. She took out the invitation and handed it to the gatekeeper. "I am Lin Qin, and this is my invitation."

The security guard took the invitation, checked it carefully, and then handed it back, saying, "I'm sorry, your invitation is invalid."

Lin Qin felt her face burning, as if she had been slapped hard.

People around them cast strange glances and whispered among themselves, as if watching a spectacle.

Lin Qin took a deep breath, trying to suppress her anger, and turned to leave.

She didn't cry or make a scene, but the anger in her eyes was like a volcano about to erupt, scorching and dangerous.

"Trying to kick me out? Not so easy!" Lin Qin returned home, sat in her study, and her eyes shone with a determined light, like a shining star.

She came up with a brilliant idea and decided to hold a small-scale business networking event on her own.

She personally designed exquisite invitations, inviting some discerning individuals and potential clients from the city, and prepared some unique products and activities.

After the news spread, the members of the "Anti-Lin Alliance" were dumbfounded, standing there like a group of wooden chickens struck by lightning.

"How dare she?" The merchant, with his pointed snout and monkey-like face, trembled in his voice, like a frightened rabbit.

“We all underestimated her…” The businessman, his face ashen, looked like a rusty iron plate.

Lin Qin's business exchange event was a great success, with a lively atmosphere and a large number of guests, resembling a grand banquet.

Lin Qin spoke with ease and confidence, captivating everyone present like a charismatic queen.

"Miss Lin, when can we begin our cooperation?" another merchant asked impatiently, like a hungry wolf spotting its prey.

Lin Qin smiled slightly, "Anytime is fine."

Night falls and the stars are shining.

Lin Qin stood by the window, looking at the beautiful night view outside, a confident smile playing on her lips.

Suddenly, a gentle voice sounded in her ear, "The moonlight is so beautiful tonight..."

The moonlight, like water, poured into every corner of the garden, making the already picturesque scenery even more dreamlike.

The breeze blows by, bringing bursts of floral fragrance, refreshing the heart.

Beside the artificial hill, a pool of clear water flows quietly, reflecting the bright moon like scattered silver fragments in the night sky.

The pavilions and towers appeared exceptionally tranquil under the moonlight, like a traditional Chinese ink painting, breathtakingly beautiful.

Zhu Ling and Lin Qin walked side by side on the winding path, their shadows stretched long by the moonlight, nestled close together.

Lin Qin glanced at Zhu Ling beside her from time to time. His profile looked particularly sharp and angular in the moonlight, like a finely sculpted sculpture, making people want to look at him a few more times.

Zhu Ling also felt Lin Qin's gaze. He turned his head, and their eyes met in the air.

In that instant, Lin Qin seemed to hear her own heart pounding, like a deer running wild.

Zhu Ling's eyes were also filled with tenderness, like a deep pool, unfathomable.

They stared at each other silently, the air around them seemingly frozen.

Lin Qin felt her cheeks burning slightly, as if she had drunk a glass of strong liquor, and her eyes became hazy.

She could feel Zhu Ling's burning gaze, like a flame that melted her whole being.

Her palms were slightly sweaty; she wanted to touch him, but dared not.

Zhu Ling slowly approached Lin Qin, his breath tickling her ear, making her involuntarily shrink back.

They grew closer and closer, so close that they could almost hear each other's heartbeats.

Lin Qin felt as if she were in a huge vortex, being pulled by a powerful force, unable to break free.

Her gaze was fixed on Zhu Ling's lips, those thin lips that looked especially tempting at that moment, like a ripe cherry.

She couldn't help but swallow, her throat feeling a little dry.

Just as the two were about to touch each other, a gentle breeze blew by, scattering Lin Qin's hair, which then fell onto Zhu Ling's face.

Zhu Ling gently brushed the strands of hair from her cheek, his fingers touching her delicate skin, a sensation like an electric current instantly coursing through his body.

He said softly, "The moonlight tonight is so beautiful..." His voice was deep and sexy, with a hint of huskiness, like a fine red wine, intoxicating.

Lin Qin's heart was beating even faster; she felt her blood boiling, as if it were about to burst out of her body.

She looked up at Zhu Ling, just then Zhu Ling's phone rang, breaking the beautiful atmosphere. He picked up the phone, glanced at it, and his face instantly darkened.

"Meet me at the dock in the east of the city tomorrow morning," he said coldly into his phone, then hung up.